--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In those days he seemed to be a nice old…" description: "\"“In those days he seemed to be a nice old gentleman, and his existence always served practical purposes, such as when I was accused of misconduct, for ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c7/paul-taylor-21504_imaginary-friend_in-those-days-he-seemed-to-be-a-nice-old_2630276.png" --- # In those days he seemed to be a nice old gentleman, and… ![“In those days he seemed to be a nice old gentleman, and his existence always served practical purposes, such as when I was accused of misconduct, for then I could shift the blame to him by saying, "Old Tacet did it." Naturally, no one would believe me, this being a last-ditch effort to avoid the…” quote by Paul Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c7/paul-taylor-21504_imaginary-friend_in-those-days-he-seemed-to-be-a-nice-old_2630276.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c7/paul-taylor-21504_imaginary-friend_in-those-days-he-seemed-to-be-a-nice-old_2630276.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c7/paul-taylor-21504_imaginary-friend_in-those-days-he-seemed-to-be-a-nice-old_2630276.png) > ““In those days he seemed to be a nice old gentleman, and his existence always served practical purposes, such as when I was accused of misconduct, for then I could shift the blame to him by saying, "Old Tacet did it." Naturally, no one would believe me, this being a last-ditch effort to avoid the hairbrush. If my mother were alive today, she'd laugh at me for still fantasizing - yet it's the truth. Even now, whenever necessary, I still summon forth the old geezer - in theater programs, for example, to credit him for costumes that I've designed, ones for which I prefer not getting the hook. Yes, he's another of my names: the unlikely but lovely and perfectly logical”” [Paul Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-taylor/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker uses a fictional “old Tacet” as a scapegoat to avoid responsibility, illustrating how people create convenient excuses. **In simple terms:** People invent excuses to dodge blame. Key Takeaway Avoid making excuses; own your actions. Themes responsibility excuses self‑deception Mood reflective critical Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - workplace conflict - personal accountability - creative writing - theater production - credit attribution Key Concepts psychology deflection accountability Questions to Reflect On - Why do you create scapegoats? - How does blaming others affect your growth? A Different Perspective Excuses can erode trust and credibility. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Imaginary friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imaginary-friend/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) ## Related quotes > [“Ciri khas diri kita, terdapat dalam kualitas pekerjaan kita.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/ciri-khas-diri-kita-terdapat-dalam-kualitas-pekerjaan-kita/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The Ph.D is one of the chosen who know that some things can never be fathomed, no matter how hard you try. 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Shea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-m-shea/) > [I don't wanna look like a 65-year-old geezer, you know, and I can't really see it happening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-burns/i-don-t-wanna-look-like-a-65-year-old-geezer-you-know-and-i-can-t/) [Pete Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-burns/) > [When I'm tired, I tell myself what the people are saying about me. In that second workout when I'm saying, 'Man, I don't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gore/when-i-m-tired-i-tell-myself-what-the-people-are-saying-about-me-in/) [Frank Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gore/) > ['Animal House' was sort of the first real, contemporary, youthful voice of the baby boom generation. It spoke to that audience, and it spoke…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-matheson/animal-house-was-sort-of-the-first-real-contemporary-youthful-voice/) [Tim Matheson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-matheson/) > [The two best interview subjects are children under 10 and people over 70 for the same reason: they say the first thing that comes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-linkletter/the-two-best-interview-subjects-are-children-under-10-and-people-over/) [Art Linkletter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-linkletter/) > [I've been blessed enough where all the rules that come with age don't apply to me. 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All the tender love you've given to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-taylor/loving-me-straight-from-the-heart-hold-me-nearer-please-let-me-be-a/) [Paul Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-taylor/) > [My sound is very smooth. Not to be to cliche, but really sensual and sultry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-taylor/my-sound-is-very-smooth-not-to-be-to-cliche-but-really-sensual-and/) [Paul Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-taylor/) > [Love you for love, you know I'll never leave. 'Cause all of the tender love you've given me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-taylor/love-you-for-love-you-know-i-ll-never-leave-cause-all-of-the-tender/) [Paul Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-taylor/) > [One of the most important things is to learn to read music. 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Ooh, tender love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-taylor/i-watch-you-more-and-more-can-t-resist-you-moving-i-feel-your-touch/) [Paul Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-taylor/) > [A lot of people are doing something about their weight, but by their own reckoning, it isn't enough to get the results they want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-taylor/a-lot-of-people-are-doing-something-about-their-weight-but-by-their/) [Paul Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-taylor/) > [By the end of it, you never know how it's going to turn out. Hopefully if I pick the right songs and put the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-taylor/by-the-end-of-it-you-never-know-how-it-s-going-to-turn-out-hopefully/) [Paul Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-taylor/) > [Ford can't sell trucks currently, and GM is not selling as many cars as it would like to. 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Reverb and a good level…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-taylor/if-i-didn-t-have-the-reverb-i-d-be-an-unhappy-camper-so-i-want-reverb/) [Paul Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-taylor/) > [Now my main goal is my solo career, so I want to keep doing that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-taylor/now-my-main-goal-is-my-solo-career-so-i-want-to-keep-doing-that/) [Paul Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-taylor/) > [I like to do cover songs if I really love them, I have to love the song first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-taylor/i-like-to-do-cover-songs-if-i-really-love-them-i-have-to-love-the/) [Paul Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-taylor/) > [I grew up in Denver, Colorado. After high school I went to Vegas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-taylor/i-grew-up-in-denver-colorado-after-high-school-i-went-to-vegas/) [Paul Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-taylor/) > [“Classic Ballet, Keep away, keep building your creaky fairy castles, keep cloning clones and meaningless manners, hang on to your beanstalk ballerinas and their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-taylor/classic-ballet-keep-away-keep-building-your-creaky-fairy-castles-keep/) [Paul Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-taylor/) [Explore all 29 Paul Taylor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-taylor/) ## More Imaginary friend quotes > [I was a loner as a child. I had an imaginary friend - I didn't bother with him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/i-was-a-loner-as-a-child-i-had-an-imaginary-friend-i-didn-t-bother/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [“Now here's Amy Pond, standing in the freezing ocean, holding the body of her imaginary friend, and shouting at the sea to make him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-goss/now-here-s-amy-pond-standing-in-the-freezing-ocean-holding-the-body/) [James Goss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-goss/) > [On the spectrum of imagination, there are people who are more imaginative than others - I guess some kids are hardcore pretenders and have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dallas-howard/on-the-spectrum-of-imagination-there-are-people-who-are-more/) [Bryce Dallas Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dallas-howard/) > [He says he’d rather be dead than leave me. According to him, we’re family. I guess that makes me the psycho uncle no one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/he-says-he-d-rather-be-dead-than-leave-me-according-to-him-we-re/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [Growing up as a chubby kid with a ton of imaginary friends and a Cyndi Lauper obsession, I learned about rejection early on and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-ditto/growing-up-as-a-chubby-kid-with-a-ton-of-imaginary-friends-and-a/) [Beth Ditto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-ditto/) > [My imaginary friend's parents think I'm not real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/my-imaginary-friend-s-parents-think-i-m-not-real/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [“Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the tooth Fairy are creatures in which every child has absolute faith until it is utterly destroyed by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-whitefield/santa-claus-the-easter-bunny-and-the-tooth-fairy-are-creatures-in/) [Jim Whitefield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-whitefield/) > [I took my first acting class at age 6 because I found out that's what Carol Burnett was doing - acting. Also she had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-lakin/i-took-my-first-acting-class-at-age-6-because-i-found-out-that-s-what/) [Christine Lakin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-lakin/) > [Does religion fill a much needed gap? It is often said that there is a God-shaped gap in the brain which needs to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/does-religion-fill-a-much-needed-gap-it-is-often-said-that-there-is-a/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“Severing our young and fragile friendship was a sad ordeal, but sadder still was the fact that this friend found it so difficult to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-goodrich/severing-our-young-and-fragile-friendship-was-a-sad-ordeal-but-sadder/) [Richelle Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-goodrich/) > [I still have imaginary friends who I talk to in my head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-ryan/i-still-have-imaginary-friends-who-i-talk-to-in-my-head/) [Lee Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-ryan/) > [Can you imagine Simon as a kid? His imaginary friends probably never wanted to play with him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-abdul/can-you-imagine-simon-as-a-kid-his-imaginary-friends-probably-never/) [Paula Abdul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-abdul/) > [I never wore a stich of make-up until I got to America. I lived in a world of fantasy it was made up of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-anderson/i-never-wore-a-stich-of-make-up-until-i-got-to-america-i-lived-in-a/) [Pamela Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-anderson/) > [“Who Am I? Well, I am the Imaginary Friend. You know-the one you conjure up for conversation when you're consumed with loneliness, greed or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-s-gifford/who-am-i-well-i-am-the-imaginary-friend-you-know-the-one-you-conjure/) P.S. Gifford > [“You are my counterfeit mystery. My artificial company. My forged reality. My imaginary friend I can’t eradicate.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coco-j-ginger/you-are-my-counterfeit-mystery-my-artificial-company-my-forged/) Coco J. Ginger [Browse all 94 Imaginary friend quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imaginary-friend/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“In those days he seemed to be a nice old gentleman, and his existence always served practical purposes, such as when I was accused of misconduct, for then I could shift the blame to him by saying, \"Old Tacet did it.\" Naturally, no one would believe me, this being a last-ditch effort to avoid the hairbrush. If my mother were alive today, she'd laugh at me for still fantasizing - yet it's the truth. Even now, whenever necessary, I still summon forth the old geezer - in theater programs, for example, to credit him for costumes that I've designed, ones for which I prefer not getting the hook. 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